study on children with abdominal pain and its relationship to mental illness

Bibliography: Hotopf, Matthew, “Why Do Children Have Chronic Abdominal Pain, and What Happens to Them When They Grow Up?” British Medical Journal, April 1998 Topic: “Why Do Children Have Chronic Abdominal Pain, and What Happens to Them When They Grow Up?” Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that children who have persistent abdominal pain come from families with high rates of psychiatric disorder, neuroticism and physical illness. The study also analyzed …

…to colds. The survey conducted by teachers showed no relationship between persistent abdominal pain and children who were disobedient, liars, or those with disciplinary problems. Daydreaming in class and having low energy was found to be related to persistent abdominal pain, and children who were more frequently absent from school suffered from abdominal pain during their early years (6-10), but there was no significant increase of school absence when the child was 13 years of age.